It’s time to get creative with your carbs my lovely readers. Let me introduce you to one of my favourite healthy grains, quinoa. Light, fluffy, high in protein as well as carbohydrates, but low in sodium and cholesterol, quinoa is a must for all healthy clean eaters like you and me.

The first thing I do is to clean the quinoa. I usually rinse and drain the water twice to completely clean it and then just boil it like rice which means 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa. Once it’s starts to boil, reduce the heat, cover and then simmer for 15- 20 minutes. The cooked quinoa should have a slight bite to it (like pasta when cooked al dente). Don’t forget to let it sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork. I also allow the quinoa to cool down slightly if using in salads.

Enough of me talking, so let’s get on with the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
2 cups of water
2 courgettes/zucchini cut into small cubes or whatever shape you like
3 large handfuls of spinach
extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
2 cloves of crushed garlic
half of a finely chopped onion
juice and zest from one lemon
finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper
Method:
Cook the quinoa as per the instructions above. In the meantime heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and then add the onion and cook until soft. Next add the garlic and courgettes and cook for 3 minutes. The courgettes don’t have to be completely soft, they will give the dish a bit of crunch. Right at the end add spinach and cook until wilted. Now get a medium size bowl and add in the cooked quinoa, courgettes, lemon juice and zest, finely chopped parsley, salt ,and a few turns of a pepper mill. Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently to combine… and serve! Enjoy loads and loads.